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unclescott58's Activity

A couple of things. I didn't really mind the long wheelbase on AMT's 2 + 2. In model form I still say that if a person wasn't told about the 2 + 2 being based on AMT's Bonneville, most people would not have known there was anything wrong with the kit, length wise at least. I was more upset with their 2 + 2, thinking they had needlessly wrecked their perfectly good Bonneville tool to offer it. It seems that they did not wreck the old Bonneville dies. I believe the Bonneville has been reissued at least once since the 2 + 2 was last on the market.As far as fender skirts. Yes, they were optional on any full-size Pontiac in '65 that didn't come with them as standard equipment. Except wagons. And I love the looks of a full-size Pontiac hardtops or convertibles with skirts built from 1965 through 1970. Including the '65 through '67 2 + 2s. They didn't work on the plain sedans for some reason.

Please, no Kaisers! Other than a Henry J that could be built stock. Kaisers, Frazers, and Henry Js are all interesting, but I don't see and any full-size Kaiser, or Frazer, selling well as model kit. Lack of racing history in real life is part of it. But not all.There are so many better suggestions posted here. I would love a '60 Chrysler 300F (preferably a convertible). A 1st generation Econoline or Corvair 85 van or pickup truck would be very cool. If in van form, I'd like to see the option of a window version the Club Wagon or a Greenbiar, or a camper conversion of some sort. A modern tooling of a Dodge A-100 would work too.And I of course keep hoping that the stories about JoHan's dies be destroyed or damaged are not true. I'd love to see the old JoHan '60 DeSoto and Plymouth wagon come back. The '62 Chrysler 300 hardtop, Dodge Dart and Plymouth convertibles would be welcome too. And let's not forget their Olds F-85 wagon. Love those long roofs.Like I say, Kaiser are cool in their own way. My paternal grandfather once traded a lake cabin for a new Kaiser. But, even with the supercharger, they were still not fast cars. And not many were raced. Unlike the Hudsons, I don't see them being big seller. Even though I'd buy one.

Scott

Oh, by the way. Any '56 Packard, Clipper or senior series, would be very cool too. And I'm still waiting for a bullet nose Studebaker. Make it a '51. The first year for Studes' V-8.

By pass the licensing issue and just release it as a stock Torino. I could care less about Starsky and Hutch, but I love the Torino. As far as whether Revell should bring out a '57 Ranchereo? Of course they should! Revell is run by a bunch of idiots if they don't see the money making potential in that one. And I'm pretty sure Revell is not run by idiots. (But, I've been to be wrong before!)

Tough kit to build. A lot of very small parts. As I work on mine, I can see why I've not seen a lot of them built before. One really needs to take their time building this one. And anybody who gets one together, I have a lot of respect for. Now, to search for engines water pump, that fell on the floor. Man, is it small.

I've built Mongram's '58 Bird a few times over the years. The first time, I found one in the box Greg posted first above. I was blown away. Here it was sitting, new in an unopened box on the shelves of our local Spartans store in the early 1970's! Bought a lot of models at the Spartans store in the past, but where this one showed up from when it did I'll never know. I think that first release, the one I found at Spartans, was from 1964. Cool kit.Besides the great box art, in a fairly flat box, there are several things I remember about that kit. Loved the instructions. If I remember collectly they used photographs showing you how build the kit? Cool custom parts. Didn't really know who Darrel Starbird was at the time, though I'd seen and admired his work in a couple of books I had seen by that time. And, I remember the kit was molded in a fairly nice, shiny black plastic for the body. And I think it may have had red plastic for a lot of the other parts? I do know I built it with out painting it. And I built it with the bubble top.I remember them reissuing it without the custom parts, sometime in the 1970's. They showed the car in red on the box. I can't remember if I bought one of those at the time or not? I think not. I do know I bought and built one in the late 80's, molded in Seafoam Green. Again the plastic was so nice, I decided not to paint the body, but leave it as is.The last one I built, and the only one I still have, is the one they reissued in 2002 with all the custom parts back. Despite the those cool custom parts, I built this Bird stock. And was very happy that this time they decided to mold it in white. Despite liking the Seafoam Green, I preferred and painted my present '58 a nice Light Blue.One last thing about this kit. You've never been able to built it 100% stock. The wheel covers are '57 wheel covers. Not 58's. No big deal to me. I this love the kit.

I have N scale stuff just sitting in my basement wait for someday. Even with N scale I really don't have room for a decent layout. I have started to think about selling my stuff. But, love trains. And have the fantasy of see my Great Northern Empire Buiders running on decent track layout someday.

I've been building models for about 50 years now, and I love it when I find out about things like the above. I rarely wire my engines, but I'm always interested in learning about what is what in my model kit. Until today, I never knew there was anything like the Spalding Flamethrower. I like many others just assumed it was a magneto. This is when this site is the best. When one has threads like this, that explain things like the above. Very cool!

What's wrong with the 348 and 409? Why do you refer to them as boat anchors? They may not have the buildup potential of the 396/427/454, or even the small block. But they saw plenty of action in their day. And did okay. I don't know why people bad mouth the 348 and 409. Or refer to them as truck engines, as they appeared in cars at the same time as trucks. Given a choice of a 409 or a 396 in an Impala in '65, I'd take the 396. But, I wouldn't have turn my nose up at a 409.

I'd love to see some '58s, and some non-Galiaxie '59s. I'm not big on the big Thunderbird "C" pillars on the '59 Galaxies. Give me a Fairlane 500 Victoria and Sunliner, any wagon, and a Ranchero for either year. '58 or '59. Plus let's not forget a '57 Ranchero. A '57 Meteor or two would be cool too.